Internal combustion engines (ICE) are often called upon to generate considerable levels of power for prolonged periods of time on a dependable basis. Many such ICE assemblies employ a supercharging device, such as an exhaust gas turbine driven turbocharger, to compress the airflow before it enters the intake manifold of the engine in order to increase power and efficiency.
Specifically, a turbocharger is a centrifugal gas compressor that forces more air and, thus, more oxygen into the combustion chambers of the ICE than is otherwise achievable with ambient atmospheric pressure. The additional mass of oxygen-containing air that is forced into the ICE improves the engine's volumetric efficiency, allowing it to burn more fuel in a given cycle, and thereby produce more power.
Additionally, ICE's are being methodically developed to consume smaller amounts of fuel. Various technologies are frequently incorporated into ICE's to generate on-demand power, while permitting the subject engine to operate in a more fuel-efficient mode. Such fuel saving technologies may shut off operation of some of the engine's cylinders when engine power requirement is reduced and even completely stop the engine when no engine power is required.